Mum of diabetes boy, ‘wishes she could swap places’ with son

THE mother of a four-year-old battling diabetes has spoken of her frustration at not being able to swap places with her young son.

Michelle Pacey, from Bathgate, must inject her child, Adam, with insulin five times a day, as well as making sure around ten blood glucose finger prick tests are carried out.

Furthermore, she and her husband, Richard, have to work out the carbohydrate in everything he eats and drinks so they can calculate dosages of insulin.

Michelle said: “I think most people can identify with the wish that something had happened to them rather than their loved one, and that’s how I feel every day about Adam and his diabetes

“If I could take it off him I would, without hesitation. No matter how well he copes, sometimes you just want to scream at how unfair it is to watch a four-year-old turn down a treat because he doesn’t want another injection.”

Tomorrow Adam – who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two days after his fourth birthday – will swim 22 lengths at his local swimming pool to raise funds for Diabetes UK. The charity cares for, connects with and campaigns for people living with diabetes.

His parents have also signed up for the charity’s Swim22 event, which is a three-month challenge to raise sponsorship by swimming the equivalent length of the English Channel.

Mrs Pacey said: “Watching someone so young take on such a difficult condition for the rest of their life is very hard, and I think everyone comes to a tipping point where they realise that just managing it every day isn’t enough. For me, it was looking at his little fingers one day and wondering how different those hands would be after ten, 20, 60, 80 years of ten finger pricks a day. That was when I knew I had to do more, and raising money for a charity that works towards a cure, as well as providing support for people affected by diabetes right now, seemed like the right way to go.”

The Swimathon will be held at Xcite Bathgate, on Torphichan Road. Cheering Adam on will be his biggest fan, 14-month-old little sister Cora.

Michelle said: “Adam is amazing, and watching him get on with this major change with so little fuss has made me so proud.”